Air Service Shrinking to NC Cities

CHARLOTTE — In 1998, 14 NC communities had scheduled airline service. Today it is only nine. Even that figure may be reduced in the future, as recent trends in the airline industry make it increasingly difficult for smaller communities to maintain meaningful air service even if incentives are aggressively used. Since deregulation, the U.S. airline industry has been largely dominated by “legacy” carriers, such as American, Delta, and US Airways, that use a complex array of fares in an attempt to maximize revenues. They also operate mainly hub-based systems. But low-cost carriers are eroding the stability of this business model, in turn affecting service to smaller communities.